EU grounds 737 MAX 8, MAX 9 models

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published an airworthiness directive (AD), suspending flight operations of both Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models in Europe.

According to a statement released by the EU’s institution, which is located in Cologne, Germany, all commercial flights performed by third-country operators into, within or out of the EU of Boeing 737 MAX series will be suspended. The directive came into effect as of 1900 GMT on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Sunday morning, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed shortly after taking off from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board, including eight Chinese nationals.

EASA said that it was taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of passengers, offering assistance in supporting the accident investigation of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.